An 1882 cover sent from Bangkok to London was franked with Straits Settlements 2¢ bister brown and 8¢ orange Queen Victoria stamps (Scott 40, 49) tied with a rare oval “British Consulate Bangkok” marking rather than the normal Bangkok circular datestamp. Though somewhat rumpled, this recently discovered cover, one of just a handful known, brought more than $25,000.

Among British Empire stamps in the Feldman sale, top realizations went to a couple of early provisional stamps of Bermuda and a rare Official stamp of India.

Also popular this week were a post about the APS election in May that features multiple candidates in every race, a tribute to the late Paul Newman on his birthday, and the news that the USPS abandoned its attempt to end Saturday delivery.

David Feldman in Geneva offered a sale of British Empire on Dec. 11 that included the second part of the Tatiana collection, with some famous gems as well as humbler items that simply tell a great story. Standing out was one of the most famous and spectacular pieces of British postal history in existence.

W.C. Fields kept movie audiences laughing for years with his classic films My Little Chickadee and Never Give a Sucker an Even Break.

On March 19, 1956, the top denomination of the Liberty definitive series, a $5 stamp depicting Alexander Hamilton, was issued. Commercial $5 Hamilton covers are scarce and highly prized.

On Feb. 19 and 20, Eastern Auctions will offer a worldwide sale with classic used British Commonwealth, British North America and Canada stamps and postal history (including Western Canadian postal history), and specialized Australia, with key values of the Kangaroo issue featuring rare varieties.

Known as “ships of the desert,” camels have provided transportation, food, and fuel for people living in desert regions for more than 3,000 years, and their importance has long been recognized on postage stamps. In the classic era of postage stamps, 1840-1940, more than 30 postal entities issued stamps that picture camels, according to the American Topical Association’s checklist of camels and dromedaries.

From 1967 through 1971, Spain issued stamps showing regional national costumes. With the exception of 1971, there were 12 Regional Costume stamps issued each year.

Home rule returned to Cuba on Jan. 28, 1909, and a new set of portrait stamps was issued Feb. 1, 1910. Their designs closely resemble the single issue of 1907, Scott 238, which portrays Maj. Gen. Jose Antonio Maceo y Grajales, who was killed in the 1895-98 revolution and is considered by many historians to be the greatest Cuban war general.

The stamps of France reflect the dichotomy of French history. The French have been innovators in the arts and sciences, and people around the world enjoy the results of French creativity in food, wine, and fashion. Yet in modern times, the French polity has been in a near-constant state of turmoil until recently.

Actor Elijah Wood is best known for his starring role as Frodo Baggins in the three Lord of the Rings movies from 2001, 2002 and 2003.

When collectors of classic stamps think of beautiful colonial issues, British and French colonies often come first to mind. But Portugal possessed an empire that was older, as widespread and almost as vast as the British and French imperial powers. Many Portuguese colonial issues are just as attractive as their French and British contemporaries.

Air letter sheets are one of the less well-known types of postal stationery. They differ from postal stationery envelopes in that the letter or message is written on the sheet, which is then folded up in the shape of an envelope for mailing.

The Khaleej Times is reporting that the world’s tallest standing building, the Burj Khalifa in downtown Dubai, has been issued its own commemorative stamp.

Samuel Gompers was a 19th century cigar maker turned labor leader, an instrumental voice in the founding of the American Federation of Labor.

New stamps from Greece feature classic advertisements of that nation's products.

Previous postal regulations called for sale of a single semipostal at a time, but did not distinguish between ones authorized by Congress and those approved by postal officials. The notice said the Postal Service will accept comments on the proposal until Feb. 22.

Greenland issued seven stamps Jan. 18 featuring the seasons, national costumes and children’s rights. The Seasons stamps are part of the Sepac (Small European Postal Administration Cooperation) multination series for 2016. Sepac’s themes for previous years include scenery, animals, flowers, and culture.

Born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, on Jan. 26, 1925, Oscar-winning actor Paul Newman starred in many acclaimed films while establishing and funding a number of charitable organizations.